Rotatable polishing and scrubbing machine.



Patented NOV. 2 6, |90I. F. H. BLATTNER &. T. CNDRA. BUTATABLE PULISHING ANDv SCRUBBING MACHINE.

(Application fixed July s, 1'9u1.|

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Illlsrll E?. l L Hof/mma PatentedNov.. 26, I90I. F. H. BLATTNIER'T. CONDRA.

ROTATABLE PLISHING AND SCRUBBING MACHINE. (Application lecl July 8, 1901.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Thron'.

FRIEDRICH HENRY BLATTNER AND THOMAS CONDRA, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

nomi-ABLE PoLlsHlNG AND scnuesine MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,420, dated November 26, 1901.

Application filed July 8, 1901. Serial No. 67,508. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRIEDRICH HENRY' provements in Rotatable Polishingand Scrub-V bing Machines; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has reference to that class of rotatable polishing or scrubbing Inachines adapted forl use on iioors or other like surfaces to take the place of the ordinary polishing or scrubbing brush; and the object thereof is to provide a simple, effective, and practical operating machine in which an automatically-rotatable polisher or brush is used and which receives its motion through the medium of the drive-wheels of the machine as the same is moved over the fioor or other surface to be polished or scrubbed.

The invention consists in a machine of the above character constructed substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure l of the drawings is a side elevation, partlyin section, of a polishing or scrubbing machine constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with the casing removed, the position thecasing will assume when in place being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an end view of the machine, showing the relative position o f the drive-wheels and the friction-Wheel. Fig. e is a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section throughthe rotatable sleeve to which the brush-head is connected, the shaft of the bevel gear-wheel able fastenings to admit of its removal when found necessary to obtain access to the interior of the machine. The supporting-braces a are connected to the under side of a castmet-al frame B, as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, said frame having upwardlyextending lugs b, towhich is detachablyconnected a suitable swinging bail C through the medium of thumb-screws c or by any other well-known means, as found most desirable. rI he bail C has a socket d for attaching thereto av suitable handle for pushing the machine similar to the ordinary carpet-sweeper. The

transverse extensions c of the frame B form bearings for the stationary shaftf of the friction-wheel D and the rotatable shaft g of the friction-wlieeLE. The wheels D E come in frictional contact with the periphery of thc drivewheels F G, which are mounted upon the two shafts h L', respectively, which shafts have their bearings in hangers H at the ends of the machine. The shafts h t' engage the slotted ends j of the hangers H and are held thereto by suitable keys 7c, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, by which means the shafts are enabled to have a vertical yielding motion when passing over the floor or other like surface being polished or scrubbed. Any suitable means may be employed to impart to the wheels the necessary yielding motion in a vertical direction, as we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the means shown.

If desired, the socket d may be composed of two hinged sections, with clamping-screws Z to tighten the sections around the handle to hold it thereto or any suitable means may be employed for the convenience of attaching a handle to the swinging bail C as best adapted to the purpose.

The driving-wheels may be of anysuitable construction and, if desired, provided with rubber tires m, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the construction and form of the wheel being .subject to many changes or modifications without departing from my invention.

The brush-head I, which may be of any suitable construction, carries the polishing or scrubbing medium, either of rubber or other similar material, or, as shown in the drawings, suitable rows of. bristles, as indicated at IOO J, thisbeing left entirely tothe purpose for which the machine is intended, either polishing, drying, or scrubbing, and we wish it understood that when we use the terni brushhead it is intended toapply to either of the uses above described without affecting the essential features of the invention. Rigidly connected to the upper side of the brushhead I is an upright sleeve K, with horizontal ange n, by Which the sleeve is secured to the brush-head by means of nuts o and bolts p, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. This sleeve K has a fiat-sided opening, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and in this opening fits a correspondingly-shaped shaft L, so that the shaft will be prevented from turning in the sleeve; but when the shaft turns it will carry with it the sleeve and the brushhead.

Upon the upper end of the shaft L is the bevel gear-Wheel M, which is integral with said shaft, and above the wheel is the hub thereof, as indicated at r in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, said hub having agrooved circular seat to receive antifriction-balls s, a grooved casting t upon the under side of the frame B fitting over the balls, thereby providing a ball-bearing for the shaft L as it is rotated. The shaft L, bevel gear-wheel M, and the hub thereof are all integral, and the hub is retained in position to keep the balls in engagement with the grooved seat-s by means of the coiled spring NJ which has its respective ends bearing against the shoulder q of the shaft L and the flange n of the sleeve K. The shaft L is held in position by a guiderod O, extending centrally through the shaft, hub-r, grooved casting t, and the frame B, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings,y said rod forming a guide for the shaft in its vertical movement as well as in its rotatable movement.

The shaft g ofthe friction-wheel E has its inner end supported in a bearing u, depending from the frame B, said shaft having suitably keyed thereto a pinion P, which engages the teeth of the gear-wheel M` as shown in Fig. of the drawings. As the machine is pushed along the floor' which is to be polished or scrubbed the periphery of the drive-Wheels F G coming in frictional contact With the friction-Wheel E will rotate said friction Wheel and withit the shaft g and pinion P and cause the shaft L to rotate through the medium of the.

gea-wheel M engaging the pinion, thereby giving to the brush-head I a continuous rotary motion and providing a very simple and practical machine that will perform its work satisfactorily and expeditiously. The guide-rod O is provided with a head o at its lower end, andbetween said head and the lower end of the fiat-sided shaft L is a shouldered washer R to provide space to allow the up-and-down movement of the brush-head I, thereby providing an automatically-yielding brush-head the sleeve K sliding up and down on the shaft and carrying with it the brush-head. The

upper end of the rod O is screw-threaded to receive a regulating-nut w tov allow of adjustment of the ball-bearings as may be required. The coiled spring N presses down upon the brush-head and gives it the necessarypressureon the floor or other surface being polished or scrubbed. The friction-wheel D does not perform any office other than to equalize the pressure on the drive-Wheels,t.he motion imparted to the brush-head coming through the friction-Wheel E.

At the baci: of the machine is a suitable scraper S, preferably constructed of rubber, said scraper being adjustable upv or down and held in its adjusted position by means of a screw and thumb-nut or other desirable means, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The purpose of said scraper is to take the place of the usual rag or mop in removing the water from the floor.

In describing the construction of the machine it is evident that many changes and modifications maybe made Without in any manner departing from the principle of the invention or affecting the essential .features thereof, and We therefore do not wish to be confined to the precise details of construction herein shown and described.

Having now fully described our invention,

. what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A polishing or scrubbing machine, comprising a suitable frame, drive-Wheels disposed in pairs upon each side of the frame, friction-Wheels, one located between each of the drive-wheels comprising the pair, said friction-Wheels adapted to bear against the periphery of the drive-wheels, a rotatable brush-head connecting with one of the friction-wheels through the medium of suitable gearing to impart a rotary motionthereto, the opposite friction-Wheel serving to equalize the pressure on both sets of drive-Wheels, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

2. `A polishing or scrubbing machine comprising vertically-yielding drive-wheels,a vertically-yieldin g brush-head, and means for imparting thereto a horizontally-rotary motion, comprising a friction Wheel engaging the .drive-wheels, and suitable gearing engaging the brush-head with the friction-Wheel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A polis-hing or scrubbing machine, comprising a suitable frame, drive-Wheels connecting therewith, friction-Wheels engaging the drive-Wheels, a brush-head having an upright sleeve with a flat-sided opening, a correspondingly-formed shaft connecting With one of the friction-Wheels through the medium of suitable gearing, said shaft engaging the sleeve and the sleeve adapted to slide thereon, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

4. A polishing or scrubbing machine comprising a suitable frame provided with a swingable bail detachably connected thereto and provided With means for attaching a han- IOS) IIG

' a guide-rod extending through the shaft, suitable drive-wheels and friction-wheels engaging the drive-wheels, and a pinion on the shaftV of one of the friction-wheels engaging the bevel gear-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. A polishing or scrubbing machine comprisi ng a horizontally-rotatable and verticallyyielding brush-head, vertically-yieldin g drivewheels, a shaft connecting with the brushhead and provided with a bevel gear-wheel, friction-rollers engaging the periphery of the drive-wheels, a pinion connecting with one of said friction-Wheels and engaging the gearwheel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7.l A polishing or scrubbing machine, comprising a suitable frame, drive-wheels connectin g therewith, a rotatable brush-head and means for imparting motion thereto, said drive-wheels having a vertically-yielding motion, and a vertically-adjustable scraper connected to the machine, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A polishing or scrubbing machine, comprising a suitable frame, drive-wheels, two upon each side of the frame, friction-wheels located between the drive-wheels and engaging the peripheries thereof, one of said friction- Wheels serving to equalize the pressure upon the drive-wheels, a shaft with pinion connecting with the opposite friction-Wheel, a gearwheel engaging the pinion, a brush-head connecting with the shaft of the gear-wheel, and a hub above the gear-wheel integral therewith and provided with ball-bearings, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that We claim the above We have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRIEDRICH HENRY BLA'ITNER. THMAS CONDRA.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM G. SToLz, CHARLES J. SAUER. 

